Getting enough protein without too much fat?

70% less fat cottage cheese, egg whites are probably the best and chicken

Tuna is another good "lean" protein option

I've been eating 1 of those candy bars to try and get more protein 'builder bar' 20g protein. It is most likely trash and bad for me, but I do like candy... It seems extremely hard to get good protein from actual foods without getting a ton of sodium or fat. I found this thread somewhat helpful though I'm trying to get between 120-220 grams of protein, and don't care as much about the fat I'm rocking like 3 eggs a day with 2 pieces of turkey bacon till the wheels fall off. Good luck try different things, and keep track of it, see what works best for your body!

amandaeve wrote: »

I am trying to eat 120 grams of protein a day at a 30% protein, 20% fat, 50% carb ratio. The reason I have this ratio is because I commute by bike 12 hours a week and need the energy, but am also trying to build lean muscle mass. It seems my macro nutrients end up 30-something percent instead. The more protein I try to eat, the more fat comes on. If I only eat shrimp, non-fat yogurt and protein powder I can do it, but throw in eggs, nuts, seeds, beef, salad dressing, or most other things I can think of and my ratio is thrown off. I don't think this ratio of macros is realistic for me, but don't know how else to get enough protein to build while having enough energy to function without over eating.

Things like nuts and seeds are greater sources of fat than protein. If you do eggs and want to keep the fat down just have one egg and kick up the volume with egg whites (they come in cartons). There are a lot more fish in the sea than just shrimp...and chicken is also a good choice. As beef goes, it really depends on the cut...there are also really lean sources of pork like pork tenderloin.

petite sirloin steaks. almost no fat, marinate cut really thin marinate and use for stir fry. Or just marinate and grill. Oh btw these lend themselves to marination because they are so lean. Tri-tip beef roasts and steaks are also super lean and very nice tasting.

I eat alot of protein. Here's my ideas, some already said. Egg whites. I have 5 for breakfast alot. I eat whole eggs too but if I need to add protein without fat I usually add eggs. I love fish and eat it almost every day. Get more than one type so you don't get bored. I eat some red meat but not alot - london broil and flat iron steak. There are others but that's all I can ever find. I eat this for a snack alot Fage plain zero fat greek yogurt with PB2 powdered peanutbutter and stevia. I can get a lot of protein out of that. And cottage cheese. Sometimes I will make roll ups with lunch meat and veggies too. Deli slices of roast beef have alot of protein. That's all my ideas.

xvolution wrote: »

If you don't already, try mixing together 1/2 c fat-free cottage cheese, 1/2 c fat-free fruit flavored greek yogurt and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Normally I don't like fat-free cottage cheese but adding the lemon juice helps with the flavor a lot, and it adds around 16g protein without adding any fat.

I love this idea. I mix cottage cheese and yogurt all the time but never tried this combo.

redraidergirl2009 wrote: »

Try tofu or seitan....all you're eating is animal protein which has fat.

Tofu and seitan aren't fat-free.

Some of my recommendations:
-Egg Beaters (all the protein of egg whites without fat/cholesterol)(I seriously cannot recommend this enough!!!!)
-Protein shakes (find a protein powder with as little sugar/fat as possible-Six Star makes a fat-free/low-sugar powder marketed at women but is actually good for anyone-don't mind the pink packaging)
-Extra-lean ground turkey (can be used to make burgers, meatballs, meat-sauce for pasta etc. that are very high protein/low-fat. I recommend cooking with high-moisture ingredients so the meat doesn't get too dry-think chicken/veggie broth, tomato sauce, freshly chopped onions mixed into burger/meatball mixture)
-Fat-free Greek Yogurt (avoid added sugar, I like Dannon Oikos Triple Zero)

And finally, while I totally understand your macro goals and think you should continue to follow them, remember to purposefully include certain healthy fats for the good of your body. Salmon especially, but also nuts, seeds, and other fish & plant fats are good to incorporate every once in a while, even when your goal is building muscle because they are so good for your overall health.

amandaeve wrote: »

lemmie177 wrote: »

If I'm doing the math right, you're eating ~1600cals/day? Are you currently gaining/losing weight at 1600? Can't be sure, but it seems like you should be eating more if your goal is to build PLUS you're on the bike 12hrs/week. If you have more calories to work with, it'll be easier to get the 120g.
.

I'm eating about 2400 calories a day, but want to keep it down at 2000. Definitely getting enough calories as I've gained 15 pounds since starting this high-protein plan in January.

OK, but 120 g of protein is ~480 Cals. At 2000 Cals, that's 24%, not 30%. As such, that means your carb and/or fat is going to be over the prescribed percentage. In your case, it would seem that fat is over 20%.

If you're happy with your performance and weight, I wouldn't worry about it, TBH.

redraidergirl2009 wrote: »

sunnybeaches105 wrote: »

redraidergirl2009 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

redraidergirl2009 wrote: »

Try tofu or seitan....all you're eating is animal protein which has fat.

Tofu and seitan aren't fat-free.

I didn't say they were fat-free. However, they have a lot less fat than meats, eggs and dairy. It would not hurt to incorporate them into a diet looking to reduce fat content while keeping protein high.

To be fair, they also have less bioavailable protein. The best choice aside from protein powder in terms of bioavailability, cost, and protein to fat ratio is likely egg whites

Sounds gross, but to each their own.

"Gross" is pretty subjective, isn't it? I love some foods that others would consider gross. It's irrelevant. The OP indicated that she is already eating eggs, so apparently she doesn't find them gross.